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In the mid-1990s, Smif-N-Wessun burst onto the scene brandishing two barrels locked-and-loaded with raw Rap talent. Following a breakthrough appearance on Black Moon's seminal Enta Da Stage, the skills of Tek and Steele shimmered on their 1995 debut, Dah Shinin'. Da Beatminerz-produced album balanced vigor, street-smarts, and just the right... Read more

Daylyt may be known best for his work as one of Hip-Hop's premiere battle rappers since he began on YouTube back in 2010. In recent days, the Watts, California MC has spent his time prepping the release of his latest album, Awake The Kids, which dropped late this past January.... Read more

The gap between Smif-n-Wessun’s last album and their upcoming LP, The All has been their most extended hiatus since they dropped The Rude Awakening in 1998 (as Cocoa Brovaz) and did not follow-up with Smif-n-Wessun: Reloaded until 2005. And while Heads never like to wait for new material from one... Read more

Last night (December 30), the tournament to decide 2018's Best Rap Album came to a close. Evidence's Weather Or Not bested Royce 5'9's Book Of Ryan, 63% to 37%. Thus, the veteran Los Angeles, California MC/producer takes home the top honors in the second annual month-long voter-decided competition. Notably, Ev's third... Read more

“It's like that uh and it sounds so nice. Hip-hop, you the love of my life.” I’ve been on the same mission for 20 years. Having grown up in the 80s, the soundtrack to my coming of age was fueled by the sounds of Grandmaster Melle Mel, Run-D.M.C., LL Cool... Read more

J. Cole is on an incredible run in 2018. April's KOD album is a top-tier contender for this year's best albums. In an era marred by overdose and self-medication, the LP offers powerful commentary to millions of listeners that could benefit. Furthermore, infidelity, vanity, greed, and a generational chasm in... Read more

Less than one month since it was released, Black Thought's "Dostoyevsky" shines as a brilliant 2018 Hip-Hop song and the latest great Tariq Trotter and Rapsody collaboration. From The Roots MC's Streams Of Thought, Vol. 1 EP with 9th Wonder and The Soul Council, the work is on Ambrosia For Heads'... Read more

From the hills of Raleigh, North Carolina, Kooley High have ascended with Never Come Down, a 14-track album with features from fellow Tar Heels Rapsody and Carlitta Durand and 9th Wonder as executive producer. The quintet made up of MCs Charlie Smarts and Tab-One; producers Foolery and The Sinopsis; and DJ... Read more

Black Thought and 9th Wonder started the year off with a mammoth announcement. Both stated as much during a panel back in January. Today, it has been revealed that the first fruits of that project will harvest in less than one week. It seemed to be mounting anyway as The... Read more

A week before the release of her Grammy-nominated album Laila's Wisdom, Rapsody dropped a conceptual single in which she examines the relationship between money and love. "Pay Up" featured her clever wordplay and served as the first offering from the LP without any featured guests. In fact, Rapsody in many ways starred as the... Read more

Saturday night (March 17), Grammy Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots were scheduled to headline a South By Southwest concert. Black Thought, Questlove, and their group-mates had announced "The Roots & Friends" at Austin, Texas' Fair Market. The concert planned to feature Roots' jam session performances with Ludacris, Rapsody & 9th... Read more

To most, the 2018 Grammys represented a strong field of what Hip-Hop music had to offer in the previous year, but many believed that a few were snubbed in the nominees for Best Rap Album. The decision not to select A Tribe Called Quest was a particular sore spot for... Read more

Gifted Gab and Blimes Brixton have talent. It's undeniable. The two women, from Seattle and California's Bay Area, respectively, show off their braggadocios bars on their latest collaborative video "Come Correct." With this video single, it's easy to see why the two gravitated toward one another in the first place.... Read more

Rhymesayers Entertainment's 11th annual Soundset lineup is announced. For 2018, the Minneapolis, Minnesota Hip-Hop festival will feature some of RSE's founders and quite active artists. Event co-organizers Atmosphere will perform on the heels of reissuing their 1997 debut Overcast!. Slug, Ant, and company will be joined by Evidence, following last... Read more

Rapsody is proof that an MC can carry on traditions, while still being current and successful. The Snow Hill, North Carolina native is getting the shine that 9th Wonder and JAY-Z knew she deserved years ago when they each signed her to their respective labels. Her soulful but raw lyricism... Read more

The Roots Picnic has become one of the culture's longest-running artist-run Hip-Hop festivals. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania event has expanded to include New York City satellite festivals, and seen its share of historic moments. The 2018 affair has been announced and will see the event playing out a little differently. On... Read more

In two weeks, 9th Wonder's Jamla Records is releasing the first collaborative project from Elzhi and Khrysis. The February 23 album takes its title from the Detroit, Michigan MC to Raleigh, North Carolina producer tandem's group name, Jericho Jackson. The name is a reference to Carl Weathers' character in 1988's... Read more

In April of 2016, Black Thought and 9th Wonder released "Making A Murderer," featuring Styles P. Posted online by Jamla Records as a song by The Roots' MC, and premiered by Ambrosia For Heads, it marked a rarity in the South Philadelphia MC's catalog that has been tied to Roots... Read more

On Sunday, January 28, Rapsody will attend the 60th Annual Grammy Awards as a nominee. Having won trophies for past feature contributions (Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly), the Roc Nation/Jamla MC is up for Best Rap Album for Laila's Wisdom, the only woman in a category which also nominates... Read more

Evidence has not released a solo album in more than five years. The co-founder of Dilated Peoples and Step Brothers changes that this week with his Weather Or Not. The last in a trilogy of acclaimed LPs that dates back to 2007's The Weatherman LP and also included 2012's Cats... Read more

In the hours leading up to 2018, some Hip-Hop news was announced that Heads might have missed. Jamla Records' founder 9th Wonder revealed that this new year promises an exciting collaborative group from two esteemed veterans of Rap music and verse. Detroit, Michigan MC Elzhi and North Carolina producer Khrysis... Read more

We have our opinions on the best albums of 2017, but rather than simply list them, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2017. With that in mind, we decided to make our Best Rap Albums Of... Read more

Forget the club. In the expertly produced video, for Rapsody’s “Sassy,” the North Carolina MC and company ghost ride a beautifully restored whip to a hopping house party before closing the night at a jam-packed diner. If anyone has the right to celebrate, it’s Rapsody. She’s had a phenomenal year.... Read more

We have our opinions on the best albums of 2017, but rather than simply list them, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2017. With that in mind, we decided to make our Best Rap Albums Of... Read more

It’s that time of year where “best of” lists abound and, in a year that featured stellar music from artists young and old, 2017 has proven to be one of the finest of the decade. We have our opinions on the best albums of 2017, but rather than simply list... Read more

For the second time in 2 months, Eminem has delivered some of the most potent commentaries in music. In October, his BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, a freestyle titled "The Storm" that was a 5-minute takedown of Donald Trump, became headline news around the world. Em was not the first... Read more

Working on a Kendrick Lamar record requires a vow of secrecy as demanding as any spy code, 9th Wonder shares in the latest Rap Radar Podcast. With longtime colleague and Roc Nation producer/engineer, Young Guru by his side, 9th speaks on how he made “DUCKWORTH.” the closer for this year's Grammy-nominated... Read more

Last February, A Tribe Called Quest were joined by Busta Rhymes and Anderson .Paak for a show-stealing Grammy Awards performance that included "We The People," "Movin Backwards," and splashes of "Can I Kick It?" and "Award Tour." Nine months later, neither A.T.C.Q. nor their final album (released one year ago... Read more

The nominations for the 60th Grammy Awards are in. The event returns to New York City for the first time in 15 years and will broadcast on January 28, 2018. As many Hip-Hop Heads predicted, JAY-Z and Kendrick Lamar receive a plethora of consideration, for 4:44 and DAMN., respectively. Jay,... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

GQ is the artist 9th Wonder calls his “secret weapon” at Jamla Records. Over the past few years, the Bay area native has released several records (including 2014's Rated Oakland) as part of the label roster that have cemented his reputation as an artist with fine lyricism and a clearly defined... Read more

Rapsody's newly-released Laila's Wisdom remains a centerpiece album in the 2017 Hip-Hop space. In a career that's seen notable releases in nearly every format, the Jamla/Roc Nation MC brought out the strongest presentation in an effort that features Kendrick Lamar, Black Thought, and Busta Rhymes just to name a few.... Read more

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the LAST... Read more

While 9th Wonder may be best known for his productions in the 00s for artists like Little Brother, JAY-Z, Erykah Badu and Destiny's Child, over the last few years, the North Carolina producer has been quietly and diligently releasing some of the best work of his illustrious career. In 2016, his... Read more

Cypher Season is upon us, as the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards is ahead. With one of the most lauded and overall talked about albums of the moment in Laila's Wisdom, Rapsody sets off a grouping of MCs who happen to be women—and DJ Premier resumes his post as cypher... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

During a recent Breakfast Club interview, host Charlamagne Tha God asked Rapsody to explain one of her Laila's Wisdom lyrics: “People enjoy the car more than the drive.” Near the 24:00 mark, Rap’ unpacked the line and spoke about the disconnect some have between aspiring for success and being both patient... Read more

Tomorrow (September 22), Rapsody will release her long-awaited Laila's Wisdom album. Already promising to be the biggest release in the North Carolina MC's decorated career, the LP marks the first with backing from JAY-Z's Roc Nation, along with that of her mentor, 9th Wonder, and Jamla Records. Rapsody Is Releasing... Read more

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the Last 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the Last... Read more

One week from today, Rapsody will release Laila's Wisdom. This will be the first full-length album from the Jamla flagship artist, since joining the Roc Nation family. A proven master at rhyme concepts and storytelling, "Pay Up" shows more of the polish that this next LP will contain. Rapsody’s Laila's... Read more

Two years ago, Lil Dicky released one of the most creative records in some time with his song "Pillow Talking." Housed on his album, Professional Rapper, the song was a whopping 10 minutes and, not only featured Dicky rapping a conversation between himself and a date, but also sported an... Read more

UPDATE: One day after confirming the features, Rapsody has shared the tracklist to Laila's Wisdom: The September 22 album tracks are as follows. The "Oooweee" collaboration with Aftermath Entertainment's Anderson .Paak previously appeared on late 2016's Crown EP. 1. "Laila's Wisdom" 2. "Power" (featuring Kendrick Lamar & Lance Skiiiwalker) 3. "Chrome... Read more

Less than two months ago, it was reported that Murs' Paid Dues Festival was revived after a hiatus since 2013. With the news came word that Ghostface Killah & Raekwon, Lil Wayne, PRhyme, Rapsody, and others would headline the Los Angeles, California event on September 16 and 17. That event... Read more

Rapsody continues to raise her stock as one of Rap's most lyrically gifted MCs. The North Carolina native has a new album titled Laila's Wisdom (September 22), which features a Barry White-inspired verse from Busta Rhymes on "You Should Know." Bussa Buss even took to his socials this week to... Read more

2017 may prove to be a watershed year in Hip-Hop. Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. married concept and advanced technical lyricism with commercial dominance in a way that forced the mainstream to conform. As recently as last week, artists from Logic to Bun B to Trae Tha Truth are taking action on... Read more

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

For the third week in a row, Rapsody has set free another potent example of her virtuosity as an MC. The Snow Hill, North Carolina Roc Nation signee (and Jamla roster member) has been celebrating #JamRocFridays, a series of releases which, by all outward appearances, seem to be in anticipation... Read more

For fans of Rapsody, the last couple of weeks have been golden. The North Carolina MC is celebrating her two musical families, Jamla and Roc Nation, with #JamRocFridays, releasing new music for what are now two consecutive weeks. As fans continue to anticipate the impending release of her first full... Read more

Starting in 2006, Murs created and curated the Paid Dues Music Festival in and around Los Angeles, California. The Living Legends MC made a stage for many of his independent peers, friends, and acts whose music he liked. By 2007, Paid Dues teamed with Guerilla Union to do a full-on... Read more

North Carolina MC Rapsody has cemented a reputation for being equally as thoughtful as she is skillful on the mic. Her latest single “The Pain" is no exception. On it, Rap' spits reflective bars about some of the pains associated with being Black in America, from various perspectives (women, men,... Read more